Amid the festivities of Newton Highlands Village Day on Sunday, June 14, City officials, arts leaders, and community members gathered outside the historic Brigham House to celebrate its next chapter as the Linda Plaut Arts and Culture Center at Brigham House.
With the sun illuminating the Victorian-era home, originally built by the Brigham family in the 1890s, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the building’s transformation into a permanent home for Newton’s newly established Arts & Culture Department.
Mayor Marc Laredo said the center serves as both a community asset and a tribute to the late Linda Plaut, who spent decades advancing arts and cultural programming across Newton.
“This is a wonderful testament to Linda and a wonderful way to honor her legacy,” Laredo said. “I’m grateful that we’re able to do that.”
Plaut, who died in 2019, played a central role in developing Newton’s arts and cultural life long before the City created a dedicated Arts & Culture Department earlier this year. Sunday’s ceremony included members of her family, who joined City officials for the ribbon cutting.
For Meryl Kessler, Newton’s Director of Arts & Culture, the center represents an opportunity to build upon Plaut’s work while creating a gathering place for artists and cultural organizations across the city.
“Linda Plaut was a role model for me and for so many others gathered here today,” Kessler said during the ceremony. “Her deep commitment to building community inspired me both professionally and personally. It is an honor and a privilege to lead Newton’s Arts & Culture Department and continue the work that Linda started, cultivated, and grew.”
Kessler told Fig City News that she hopes the center will become a hub for collaboration within Newton’s arts community.
“I want it to be a place for the arts community to gather, connect, and create ideas together,” she said.
Kessler noted that despite Newton’s population of about 90,000 residents, many artists and arts organizations have limited opportunities to connect with one another. She plans to host brown-bag lunches and other gatherings at the center to encourage collaboration and conversation among community members.
The center will also serve as headquarters for Newton’s standalone Arts & Culture Department, a move City leaders say reflects a growing commitment to arts and cultural programming.
Associate Director of Arts & Culture Archana Menon said the department’s long-term vision extends beyond programming and events.
“We want to elevate the role of arts and culture planning in the city so that arts are viewed not as something ancillary, but as an integral part of community and economic development,” Menon told Fig City News.
Menon added that the department intends to strengthen support for artists and cultural organizations while positioning Newton as a destination for arts and culture throughout the region.
“Ultimately, we want to put Newton on the map as a regional arts and culture destination,” she said. “We plan to do that through new policy and programmatic initiatives, while also strengthening the partnerships that already exist throughout the community.”
As the ribbon was cut and visitors streamed through the renovated building, City officials expressed hope that the historic Brigham House will continue its long tradition of serving the community — this time as a home for creativity, collaboration, and cultural life in Newton.
Annalise Vito is a 2026 graduate of Newton North High School, former co-Editor-in-Chief of The Newtonite, and a Fig City News student intern.